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Slated to arrive sometime next month, Kickstarter-funded iStick will allow iPhone and iPad owners to easily transfer files between their computers and iOS devices that are equipped with a Lightning connector.

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The thumb drive, which raised $1.1 million on Kickstarter, features a slider that allows users to switch between a standard USB connector and a Lightning connector that plugs into an iPhone 5/5s or a recent iPad model. Inside the plastic housing is a flash memory module offering 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of storage space.

While the iStick is automatically recognized by computers as a USB storage device, the iOS file system requires users to install an app to manage files. On the iOS side, you can use the USB stick to transfer files or play them directly from the connected thumb drive.

Recode's Walt Mossberg recently tested a pre-production model and found that device transfer files as advertised, but it is not as easy to use as a basic USB thumb drive.

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In my tests, iStick file transfers worked between a variety of devices, including an iPhone 5s, an iPad mini, an iPad Air, a Mac and a Windows laptop. I was able to move and use files ranging from pictures, songs and videos to Microsoft Office files and PDFs -- in both directions. [...]

The cumbersome part comes in when you want to use a file transferred to the iStick local storage area with another app on your iOS device, and it's due to the way iOS manages files, not an issue with the iStick itself. Unlike on a computer, iOS devices don't have a visible, system-wide file system. Instead, files that can be used by an app can only be fully used, beyond just viewing them, via that app.

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The iStick is made by Sanho, which also produces the popular Hyper charging accessories. When it is available for retail sale, pricing for the iStick will start at $129 for the 8GB model and climb to $399 for 128GB, although Kickstarter backers who got in early were able to receive significant discounts on that pricing. The relatively high pricing is said to be related to Apple's Lightning licensing fees and its strict quality requirements.

macrumors 68020

Awesome idea. But the prices and timing (iOS 8 and Yosemite right around the corner), I don't think this will go very far. Only those on older versions of iOS that can't or choose not to update to iOS 8, or those who have zero interest in cloud storage solutions will benefit.

macrumors newbie

macrumors 601

Decided against backing this for three reasons: 1. I've been kinda burned on KickStarter before. 2. The price—even for backers—was still pretty high. 3. I didn't have faith in this startup to create an elegant app to accompany the hardware. Luckily iCloud Drive will accomplish most of what this thing does, especially as internet speed and coverage increases. The only thing is we need these carriers to start lowering data prices. What good is 1TB of iCloud storage if Verizon charges my wife and I $155/mo to share 3GB between our two iPhones and my iPad? And that's with my employer's discount. Luckily I'm usually on WIFI, but not always. The other thing that will help reduce the need for something like this is AirDrop compatibility between Mac and iOS, as well as Continuity.

macrumors 6502

I might be missing something, but can't you transfer files from your computer to iOS device via iTunes? I have a file management app and in iTunes, there's an option to transfer whatever app I want when my phone is connected over USB or wifi.

macrumors 68020

Otherwise, it's a much needed accessory for iOS. I might wait a bit until a competing "clone product" (copycat product) from the deepest bowels of China comes along and sells the same thing, at a much lower price.

macrumors newbie

The iStick will be valuable to me as at work I cannot sync my Apple devices to my iPhone or iPad so I am forced to email everything I need to myself then check my mail from my iPhone or iPad.

This is all good and well until you need to transfer something that is over the email limit. This is where I see the iStick will come handy. Music files, large presentations that I want to work on using my iPad will by my primary use.

I backed this project mostly because of how difficult it was to transfer larger files/music between my iPhone and iPad and between my iPhone and my wife's iPhone.

In the end I cannot tell you if this is going to work for them or not, but since I will receive my iStick at a discounted rate, I thought it would be nice to have in those cases where you really need to move things quickly between devices and you are in a place where there is no WiFi and you have crappy cell service.

macrumors 6502

I might be missing something, but can't you transfer files from your computer to iOS device via iTunes? I have a file management app and in iTunes, there's an option to transfer whatever app I want when my phone is connected over USB or wifi.

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Anything you do with iTunes incurs a full sync, which is a pretty cumbersome way to move some files.

macrumors 6502a

The iStick will be valuable to me as at work I cannot sync my Apple devices to my iPhone or iPad so I am forced to email everything I need to myself then check my mail from my iPhone or iPad.

This is all good and well until you need to transfer something that is over the email limit. This is where I see the iStick will come handy. Music files, large presentations that I want to work on using my iPad will by my primary use.

I backed this project mostly because of how difficult it was to transfer larger files/music between my iPhone and iPad and between my iPhone and my wife's iPhone.

In the end I cannot tell you if this is going to work for them or not, but since I will receive my iStick at a discounted rate, I thought it would be nice to have in those cases where you really need to move things quickly between devices and you are in a place where there is no WiFi and you have crappy cell service.

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ios 8 is going to bypass the large file cap so idk it seems pointless now.

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